This invention relates generally to remotely controlling devices which are interconnected, and more particularly, to controlling devices interconnected with Ethernet cable.
Multiple sensors are often used aboard a marine craft to provide information to a user. Types of information may be weather, radar, or global positioning, for example. It is helpful to have the different types of information collected and, if possible, integrated together, then displayed on one or more devices. A small boat may utilize a single device for providing information, while larger craft may have multiple devices installed on more than one helm or at different locations on the craft.
The sensors and display devices typically run on battery power. To conserve battery power, such as when in a marina overnight, a user may want to turn off the battery powered devices. Some marine craft provide a breaker system which immediately removes power from one or more of the sensors and display devices. Often, however, the sensors and display devices must be individually turned off. If power is not removed, the battery may be drained when the user returns to the marine craft.
Some marine craft utilize a large number of sensors and display devices, creating a high level of difficulty with cabling, powering, and interfacing the different products which provide different types of information. In addition, the backlight of the display device consumes a large amount of power and has a limited life. Unfortunately, if power is removed from the display device the data which has been collected or received by the sensors is lost. Some forms of data, such as data received from a satellite, are time consuming to acquire and thus it is not advantageous to turn the display device off.
Therefore, a need exists for interconnecting and controlling the power state of multiple sensors and display devices. Certain embodiments of the present invention are intended to meet these needs and other objectives that will become apparent from the description and drawings set forth below.